


Angelus Mortis: The Beginning

by GhostGrapes



Series: Angelus Mortis [1]
Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Additional Characters to be added, Albus Dumbledore Bashing, Alternate Universe - Harry Potter Setting, Evil Albus Dumbledore, F/F, F/M, Father-Daughter Relationship, Gay Remus Lupin, Gay Sirius Black, Jealous Harry Potter, M/M, Manipulative Albus Dumbledore, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Severus Snape Has a Heart, Sirius Black Free from Azkaban, Sirius Black Gets A Trial, Sirius Black as Padfoot, Twins-Who-Lived (Harry Potter), Werewolf Remus Lupin, additional relationships to be added - Freeform, banshee - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-08-04
Updated: 2019-05-01
Packaged: 2019-06-21 19:45:27
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 3
Words: 5,802
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15565092
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/GhostGrapes/pseuds/GhostGrapes
Summary: October 31, 1981.James and Lily Potter are killed and the twins are hit with the rebounding curse. While a piece of Voldemort latched onto Harry, his sister Carina’s fate was worse. The abilities she inherited from both of her parents, being the female, were amplified dramatically.Unlike her brother, Carina Potter was saved from a life with the Dursleys by Severus Snape, the only one that would be able to keep her safe.As time goes on, Carina comes into her powers and secrets are discovered about people and lives are turned upside down.





	1. All Hallows Eve

_October 31, 1981. The night that changed everything._

It was a normal Hallowe’en night, and nothing seemed out of order or amiss. The Potter family had had a lovely evening watching some Muggle Television programs about Hallowe’en and ate all of the candy that had been dropped off by their friends the previous day. The young couple sat curled up on the couch, their twins nestled between them, playing with the towers their Godfather had bought them. Little animated figures ran about on the sofa in front of them as the young parents laughed. There was an immense joy that the little family felt as they played with the toys. All in all, it was a lovely evening that the young parents had enjoyed immensely.

Their joy was not meant to last, however, as just a few hours after dinner, when the young Potter twins - Harry James and Carina Angeline Moira - were being prepped for bed by their beloved parents, there was a sudden CRACK in the street. The young parents froze in alarm, fearful of who it could be. When there was no sign of the signal they had agreed upon with their associates, James Potter jumped from his place by his son, sending his wife a scared look. The couple knew that they had been found and they knew it would be last time they saw each other. A cold chill ran down their spines and their hearts thudded against their rib cages at the knowledge that they were going to meet the cold embrace of Death without any chance to keep their children safe. Sharing a sweet kiss with his wife, James Potter caressed his children’s heads before collecting his wand and running down the stairs to keep the Dark Lord at bay for as long as he could.

When her husband dashed downstairs, Lily Potter scooped up her small children and rushed into their bedroom, placing them in her daughter’s crib, murmuring reassurances and proclamations of her love to keep them from crying as she heard her husband collapse on the stairs, dead. Moments later, the door to her children’s room burst open and the vile creature that had been hunting them for months stepped through, an evil grin on his face as he pointed his wand at the young mother. Moments later, Lily Potter was dead on the floor and her young, orphaned children were crying softly.

Stepping over the body of their mother, the Dark Lord hissed in delight as he finally achieved what he had set out to do, or so he thought. Casting the Killing Curse, he laughed as it hit the twins, but screamed out in terror as it rebounded back to him. Streaks of light tore across his body and burned through him like a raging fire as the eyes of young Carina Potter glowed bright white, the same colour that seared across his flesh. In an explosion of light and debris, the Dark Lord fell victim to his own Curse and was defeated, leaving the innocent twins alone in their ruined room.

Crying softly, young Carina Potter crawled closer to the bars of her crib and stared down at her mother, the young girl’s eyes glowing white. As she stared, there was a cacophony of noises on the main floor as someone rushed through the door and up the stairs, only to come to a halt in the broken doorway.

The man in the doorway was pale, hook-nosed, with black eyes, hair, and clothes. Seeing Lily Potter on the floor, he collapsed against the wall with a cry, staring at her dead body. A moment later, the man crawled forward, tears streaming down his face as he scooped up the red-headed woman, cradling her to his chest as he cried.

As the man mourned, young Carina Potter let out a whimper that caught the man’s attention. At first, he simply sat there, holding the dead woman in his arms, but that didn’t last. Carefully setting Lily Potter on the floor, the man shuffled over to the crib and stared through the bars at the young girl, who sniffled and wiped at her face. The man didn’t move for several minutes, not until his eyes caught the mark that seemed to be inked into the skin above her collarbone. A sharp gasp came from the man as he abruptly stood, staring down at the child. Whimpering once more, Carina Potter used the bars to stand as she stared up at the man, bouncing slightly.

Narrowing his eyes minutely, the man reached down and lifted her from the crib, seemingly ignoring the young boy that stared up at him teary-eyed. Keeping his attention solely on the young girl, the stranger inspected the mark on her pale skin closer, his heart racing faster when he realized he knew exactly what the mark meant. Cursing, the man pulled the girl closer before looking down at her brother, who had pulled himself up to stand as well.

Before the man could pick the boy up, however, there was a CRACK in the street and he could hear the voice of the old man he had begun to realize couldn’t be trusted. Growling under his breath when he heard footsteps rushing up the stairs, the man hurried away from the crib, Carina Potter still in his arms. Stepping through the hole in the wall that had come from the explosion, the surrounding wall singed, the man clutched the young girl to his chest as he carefully scaled the wall to reach the ground. Once his feet were firmly on the floor, her rushed quietly off of the property and out into the street. He knew that if Carina Potter had remained, she would have been used for her abilities that seemed to have been amplified in reaction to the attack. With all the research he had done with Lily about her heritage when she began having strange feelings of death, he just knew that being hit with the Killing Curse would make her stronger, closer to death than Lily’s ancestors ever were. It didn’t help, of course, that she had probably also inherited the abilities of the Potter line, making it even more vital that he kept her safe.

Once the man was far enough away from the house, he held the girl even closer as he pictured his home and Disapparated.

The only clue that he had been there was the missing child and the loud CRACK that signalled his departure.


	2. I Get By With A Little Help From My (Sort Of) Friends

A CRACK sounded through the empty house as Severus Snape appeared in the room with Carina Potter cradled in his arms. The young girl was cooing quietly, her tiny hands clutching at his robes. Severus was still for a moment as he stared down at the daughter of his old friend. She looked like her, in a way. Her bright green eyes that seemed almost blue if the light hit them and her hair, what little of it she had seemed to have, seemed to have just a touch of auburn, but there was also a lot of James Potter in the girl that made Severus want to cringe, though he didn’t. He wanted to keep school prejudices and petty hatred out of her life, especially if he wanted her to grow up to be a well rounded and somewhat normal witch. He knew it would be difficult to raise her - not to mention illegal without the proper paperwork - but he didn’t want her in the wrong hands.

Letting out a sigh, Severus made his way up to his room and transfigured an old chair he had been meaning to replace into a crib before laying Carina down, a soft smile appearing on her face as he watched her fall asleep almost instantly. Staring down at Carina sadly, Severus frowned before turning away to collect his night clothes.

It was going to be a long seventeen years.

 

****

 

It had been a month since Severus had rescued Carina from the ruins of her home and he was beginning to realize that he needed help. Although Carina was a very well behaved baby, he was running on almost no sleep and still needed to make public outings to show that nothing had changed with him. Thankfully, he was practically a hermit, so that made it easier for him while he was adjusting to life with a baby.

At that moment, Severus was holding Carina to his chest as he rocked her gently, attempting to soothe her from her nightmares. As he did most nights, Severus had woken to Carina’s cries. Whether it was from nightmares, her abilities, or memories of the night that had brought them together, he wasn’t sure. He did, however, know that if he wasn’t able to get a good night of sleep soon, he would collapse from exhaustion. 

When Carina had finally calmed and fallen asleep, Severus pressed a gentle kiss to her head before laying her down in her crib. The pale man sighed and leaned against the crib, watching to see if Carina would wake up again. After a few minutes, when he was sure she would remain asleep, Severus stepped back from the crib and let out another sigh - this one wearier - before heading down to his study, where he planned to write a letter to a one-time enemy from school who he knew would be helpful. Although he knew it would be proper to write the girl’s godfather, he knew there was no way he would be able to convince the man to help without his more logical half, Remus Lupin. Setting his pride aside, Severus pulled out a piece of parchment and his quill before beginning to write, hoping that Lupin would see reason and aid him in the adventure he seemed to find himself pursuing. Normally, he would have never dared to contact one of his school tormentors, but he knew when to admit his faults and short-fallings, which this was. He could honestly say he had no idea how to raise a child, especially a young girl. While he did know, at least for the most part, how to deal with her abilities, he still needed help with everything else.

**Lupin,**

**In the month since James and Lily were killed, I have had time to reflect on how things occurred between us and I can only say that I believe we can put our differences aside in the wake of what has occurred. Unfortunately, their death is not the only tragedy that has occurred. With the Potters dead, their children are left without guardians to care for them. Although I am aware that Sirius Black was named their Godfather, I am also aware that Albus Dumbledore has no intention of allowing Black to take them. The man seems to have an agenda that will aid only him.**

**On the topic of the twins, I was only able to retrieve Carina before he arrived to survey the damage. I fear that Harry will be sent to his Muggle relatives, who are vile and cruel. When we have a chance - if you agree to help me - we will need to take Harry from that place.**

**As for Carina, she is safe at my home at Spinner’s End, although I do not believe I will be residing here much longer. Although she is safe and in good health, I fear I may not be enough the raise her as I am not as knowledgeable as needed to raise her. Despite our differences, I hope that you would come to Carina’s aide and help me with her as she grows.**

**If you are agreeable, stop by my home tomorrow at your earliest convenience. If not, I only ask that you disregard this letter, destroy it and let no one know what I have written.**

**-Severus Snape**

Reading over his letter, Severus nodded to himself absently and sealed the letter in an envelope before heating up a stick of wax and using the Prince family seal to seal the envelope shut. Standing from the desk, he strode over to his owl - Neith -  and gave her his letter before opening the window to let her out. The Potions Master watched the owl fly into the night until he could no longer see her before shutting the window, but keeping it open just enough that Neith would be able to nudge it open if she arrived back before he awoke.

When he woke, it was early in the morning, which made him groan, until he heard Carina. Looking over at the toddler, he saw that she was giggling as Neith hooted at her, allowing the child to pet her. The owl was usually as temperamental as her owner, but it seemed that she was just as soft around Carina as he was. Smiling at the thought, Severus stood from his bed and went to the crib, his smile broadening when Carina squealed up at him. Her face radiated joy as he picked her up, pressing his forehead to hers in greeting as her tiny hands gently gripped his hair.

“Good morning, little one.” The man murmured as he pulled away, her hands slipping from his hair to, instead, grip his nightshirt.

“Sev!”

“Yes, little one. Did you enjoy your time with Neith? She seems to like you.” The toddler hummed to herself and bounced in his arms as Neith hooted at Severus, lifting her leg to show the letter that had been tied there. Smiling at his owl, untied the letter and ran his fingers across her feathers affectionately. “Let’s get you changed and fed, hm?”

Knowing there would be no verbal response from Carina, he stuffed the letter in his pocket before moving to change her diaper. It was his least favourite part of raising a child, but he always dealt with it efficiently. Once it was done, however, he dressed her and then himself before heading down to make breakfast.

The food was simple, as he desperately needed to go shopping for more food, but it was enough to keep at least Carina healthy. She was all that mattered to him, all that mattered in his lonely life. She was the light in the darkness of the evil that had taken root in the world and in his heart.

As little Carina ate her food, babbling to herself occasionally, Severus opened the letter from Lupin and began to read.

 

**Severus,**

**Thank you for sending the letter. I fear I have been inconsolable in the last month, but the news that at least Carina is in a happy home has brightened the ever-present darkness.**

**If it is not too much trouble, I will be coming by around 11. It has been some time since I’ve seen Carina and I fear she may not remember me. She was such a happy baby when I saw her last and I can only hope that she still is, despite everything.**

**Assuming you would prefer our meeting to be discreet, I won’t use the Floo Network, in case it is being monitored.**

**R.J.L**

 

“It seems we will be having company, little one.”

“Ah!” Carina squealed with a giggle, grinning up at Severus. “Mmmmmmm…”

“Let’s get you dressed, hm? He’ll be here in a few hours and I have some things to take care of before he does.” Carina simply hummed as she played with her dry cereal. “Come, little one.”

Severus picked up the young girl and brushed the crumbs off of her before bringing her upstairs to get dressed. Unfortunately, he didn’t have much in the way of children’s clothing, so Carina was dressed in transfigured clothing he had long since stopped wearing, as well as any clothing he had kept from his youth. I wasn’t much, but it was all he had to work with until he could go out to shop for more supplies.

Once upstairs, Severus made quick work of bathing and dressing Carina in a nice purple outfit he had transfigured and coloured. She seemed to like it, so he was happy to let her wear it. As Carina was dressed and sitting in her crib, occupied by a toy he had found in the various boxes from his youth, Severus quickly changed his clothes and made himself look presentable. Although he did look tired, he had a feeling that Lupin would be in no place to judge, as the full moon had not been all that long ago.

“Sev! Pway?” Carina called to him, waving the toy he had given her in the air. Chuckling to himself, Severus strode across the room and lifted Carina out of the crib, cradling her against his chest. 

“Would you like me to play with you, little one?”

“Ah!” Carina squealed happily, her chubby hand moving to his hair. Her grip was gentle, more so as a reassurance that he couldn’t leave than a desire to rip his hair from his scalp, Severus suspected. For a baby, she was quite gentle in everything she did and was quite happy to sit with him and listen to him read, even though she probably didn’t understand a word he was saying. His books tended to be textbooks or novels that were far too complex for any child to understand. At the same time, however, she would stare up at him with a look that told him she was far more intelligent than she should be for her age.

“Very well. I do believe your blocks are still on the floor from yesterday.” Leaving his room, Carina babbling to herself in his arms, Severus made his way into the lounge and sat on the floor, Carina between his legs so that she could not run off. She hadn’t completely grasped the concept of a speedy getaway, but she was quite capable of following him around on her own two feet. The first time she’d done it, she’d scared him half to death. He’d left her in the lounge for only a moment so that he could fetch her some water and when he’d turned around to return, she was toddling into the kitchen with a mischievous grin on her face that reminded him so much of her father.

“Bblooocks.” Carina hummed picking them up and waving them above her head at Severus, looking up at him with a grin.

“Yes, Carina. Blocks.” He laughed, taking one of the offered blocks from her. “Now, let’s see what we can do with-” Before he could finish his sentence, Carina had begun stacking the blocks in the vague shape of a tower. Once the tower was built, the toddler babbled to herself for a moment before knocking them down with a giggle.

“Oops!”

“Uh huh.” Severus chuckled, as he ran his fingers along her side, making the toddler giggle louder, squirming away from his fingers.

“Sev!” She squealed, wobbling onto her feet in an attempt to get away. 

“Ah, not so fast little one!” Scooping her into his arms, Severus held her in the air with a grin, all of his worries disappearing as he played with the young girl.

Somehow, the hours of the morning passed and it was suddenly 11 o’clock, which was punctuated by a tentative knock at the door. Severus smiled down at Carina and stood, “Stay here, little one. I’ll only be a moment.”

“S-Sev…” The little girl whined, reaching up at him with a pout.

“Don’t move, Carina.” Severus reminded her with a smile. When the toddler nodded, he left the room to answer the door. Taking a calming breath, Severus pulled open the door to reveal Remus Lupin, one of his school tormentors. “Lupin.” The man looked haggard like the universe refused to stop beating him down. His skin was pale and slightly sunken in. His shoulders were drawn inwards as if to make him smaller than his tall frame. He was by no means imposing, but more lanky and tall.

“Severus, thank you for sending the letter-”

“Yes, yes. Now, if you’ll follow me, Carina is by herself in the living room.” Ushering the werewolf in, he quickly shut the door and made his way back into the living room to see Carina playing with the blocks he had given to her earlier.

When she saw her guardian, Carina squealed and raised her arms at him, “SEV!”

“Yes, hello again, little one.” He chuckled, scooping her up. “I have someone I’d like you to meet, Carina. He’s a friend of your mother and father.”

“Pa? MA?” 

“Yes, them.” Severus nodded, turning so that she could see the werewolf. “This is Re-”

“Mooooons.” Both men froze, staring at the toddler, whose eyes glowed with the power of her ancestors.

“Did she just…?”

“She knows my nickname… but how?”

“Her abilities must be stronger than I first anticipated.” Severus mused as Carina’s eyes went back to their natural colour. “Lily’s line descends from the Wiccan Banshees, while Potter, from what I can gather, descends from the Moriai of Greece.”

“And both of those are female…”

“Precisely. Which means that Carina has both, as well as her magic.”

“But Lily didn’t show any sign of different abilities…”

“The line has been diluted over time, but I believe that her abilities were enhanced by the Killing Curse.” Remus gasped and leaned against the wall, his face pale.

“T-they survived being hit with it?”

“Yes… although their lives are forever far from normal.” Severus sighed as Carina bounced in his arms, cooing as she gently pulling on his hair as she always did. “Carina has abilities that have not been seen in centuries and her brother will grow up in a wizard-hating home that will probably treat him as a slave. Not to mention they will be known as the twins that defeated the Dark Lord. They will be famous without even knowing it.”

“You mentioned that you did not trust Albus… why is that?”

“There are things that do not add up with his methods, not to mention I was forced into being a spy for him. In return, he was to ensure that Lily and her family would be safe… and they were killed in return.”

“There is not much we can do Severus.” Remus sighed, rubbing his eyes tiredly.

“Where is your other half?”

Tears came to the werewolf’s eyes and the raven-haired man became alarmed, unsure of how to handle the situation. “Why are you-”

“Sirius was sent to Azkaban for the murder of several muggles and Peter Pettigrew, as well as giving the location of Lily and James to the Dark Lord.”

“But he did none of those things,” Severus said in confusion as Carina wiggled in his grasp with a pout. “I know for a fact he is not a Death Eater or a follower of any kind to the Dark Lord.”

“He was at the scene of the crime and all that was left of Peter was his finger.”

Severus shook his head with a sigh, “None of that makes any sense, but now is not the time for such trivialities.” 

“What do you mean?”

“If you are going to be helping with Carina’s upbringing, then we’ll be needing to move homes. Spinner’s End does not have enough room for the pair of us and her, especially since she’ll be needing her own bedroom.” Severus explained as he moved to sit on the sofa, Carina playing with the buttons of her shirt as she hummed to herself quietly. The young girl was tired from the use of her abilities and began nodding off. 

“Well… my flat is too small-”

“I already have a place in mind, Lupin. I’ve had a month to think this through.”

“You do?”

“Yes, and it just so happens to be untraceable and unplottable.”

“How?”

“The Prince family were a very secretive bunch that preferred to have their business kept as their own.”

“The Prince family?”

“My mother’s family,” Severus explained as Carina finally fell asleep in his arms. “I am the sole heir to the Prince estate, as well as the Snape estate.”

“And this house will be large enough?”

Severus chuckled, “I don’t think you realize how wealthy my mother’s family was, Lupin. We will have more than enough room.”

“Then I suppose we’ll be going there to raise her then.”

“Are you quite certain, Lupin? Raising Carina will be a full time-”

“Beyond the day of and the days surrounding the full moon, I will be fully capable in assisting you in raising Carina, Severus. You have my word on this.”

“And you will tell no one of where we are located or that we have Carina without discussing it with me first?”

“Of course.”

“Very well, then.”

And lo, the childhood enemies took a step towards what had the possibility of friendship.


	3. All Together Now (We're Raising A Child)

The newly brought together family arrived at Prince Manor to see that it had begun slightly run down in the time it had been uninhabited. Grimacing at the state of the place, Severus adjusted Carina on his hip and let out an annoyed sigh.

“Mipsy! Lissy!” Moments later, two House Elves appeared before them with excited and shocked expressions on their faces.

“Master Severus! Master Severus has returned!” One cried excitedly, practically vibrating.

“Welcome home, Master Severus!” The other cried.

“Hello, Mipsy, Lissy,” Severus greeted, a ghost of a smile on his face. “I will be moving back into the manor, along with Mister Remus Lupin and Miss Carina Potter.”

“Oh, how wonderful, Master Severus!” Lissy squealed, clapping her hands.

“Mipsy is delighted to have Master Severus and his friends in Prince Manor!”

“It’s lovely to meet you both,” Remus said with an awkward smile, in disbelief that Severus’ house elves were so kind.

“Mipsy, Lissy, I will be needing the manor cleaned, but first I think it would be wise to focus on three bedrooms, the kitchen, and the sitting room,” Severus explained as Carina began playing with his shirt collar, becoming bored. “We will head upstairs to pick out our rooms and leave the doors open for you. Start on the rooms down here, as we’ll be needing them first.”

“Of course, Master Severus!” Mipsy nodded enthusiastically. 

“Excellent. We will return shortly with our belongings.” Both house elves bowed deeply before disappearing to start with their tasks. Standing in the entryway, Severus took in his mother’s ancestral home, feeling a bit of spite towards his parents for living in such a decrepit place like Spinner’s End when he was a child.

“So, shall we collect our things? Carina seems to be in need of a nap.” Remus said, bringing Severus’ attention to the small girl that had begun dozing on his shoulder, bringing a small smile to his face.

“Yes, that would be wise.” Offering his arm to Remus, he waited until the other man had a firm grip before disapparating, never waking Carina.

****

A few hours later, Severus and Remus had collected their belongings and Carina had woken from her nap in a playful mood. Knowing that she would become sad and distant if they did not play with her for at least a little while, Severus brought Remus into the living room at Spinner’s End and they sat with Carina on the floor as she played with her blocks, occasionally herding her back into the living room or aiding her in building a tower. It was during this time that they also began to discuss things Severus had hoped to avoid for as long as possible.

“What about Harry?” Remus asked, making Severus shake his head as he handed Carina a block, hoping she stayed oblivious to the conversation.

“If we take Harry from the Dursleys, we’ll only draw attention to ourselves and Dumbledore will try to take Carina.”

“But-”

“There are Blood Wards over 4 Privet Drive, which is exactly what Harry needs to be kept safe from remaining Death Eaters,” Severus continued his argument against removing Harry from the Muggle World. “It is likely that the boy will not be happy, but he will be alive.”

“Lily’s sister hated her though, Severus.”

Severus sighed, his eyes dropping to Carina. “She will, however, listen to Dumbledore when he threatens her to keep the boy safe.”

“When they get older, do you not think this will cause animosity between them? Carina being raised in a loving and magical home while Harry is raised by magic-hating Muggles?”

“Perhaps, but we are doing this to keep them safe. If Carina were sent to live with the Muggles, she would most likely end up in a mental ward or be taken by remaining supporters of the Dark Lord. She needs magic and magic-users to keep her safe, Harry does not need as much protection.”

Remus sighed and nodded slowly, seeing his point. “Very well, but I would like to keep an eye on the boy when possible. If what I know of Petunia and her husband are true, then I worry they will do harm to him.”

“We can try, but we do not want to be seen around that area, Lupin. Dumbledore will have his spies watching over the area, which makes watching over him difficult.”

“But we could-”

Remus was suddenly cut off by Carina squealing in delight as she knocked her tower over, clapping furiously. “Sev, look!”

“I see, little one,” Severus said with a smile, allowing the little girl to grip onto his fingers. As Carina played with his hand, Severus looked back to Remus, who had a bemused smile on his face. “We should head back to the manor soon, I have a feeling that the rooms will be ready.”

“Is there any way they will allow us to help them?” Remus asked.

“Doubtful.” Severus drawled, his lips quirked in amusement. “Mipsy and Lissy are very serious about their work and become… unhappy when someone else tries to take over.”

A few hours later, the trio returned to the manor with their belongings. Carina was sitting happily in Severus’ arms with her head on his shoulder.

“Is Master Severus liking the state of the manor?” Mipsy asked as she and Lissy stood before him, their large eyes watching him hopefully.

“I am,” Severus nodded. “Thank you for working so hard and finishing the cleaning of the entire manor.”

The house elves nodded and Lissy shuffled slightly. “Is there anything else Master Severus will be needing Mipsy and Lissy to do?”

“Perhaps begin preparing supper? Carina will be needing to eat soon.”

“Is there anything that Master Severus is wanting for supper?”

“Chicken and peas for Carina, and for us… surprise me.”

“Yes sir!” the house elves chirped before disappearing. Turning away from where they’d been standing, Severus saw that Remus was looking around at the freshly-cleaned manor in awe. “Since everything is clean, I suppose you can choose any room you’d please. I will be taking the master room, but any other room is open for you.”

Remus nodded. “Did… did you grow up here?”

“No, I did not,” Severus replied. “My mother’s family were not pleased with her marriage to my Muggle father, so she was not welcomed back. After they all died, the manor was left to me and I kept my ownership of it quiet.”

“But you’ve been living in Spinner’s End?”

“I have an image, Lupin,” Severus reminded him. “It is easier to allow my peers to believe I live in that horrific house and never venture out unless I need more supplies for potions. If they think anything more of me, then they will pry, and that is not something I need.”

Remus nodded hesitantly. “O-of course, my apologies, Severus.”

Severus waved him off. “It’s no matter.”

Walking away from the man, Severus headed up the grand staircase and ventured down the hall with his and Carina’s bags trailing along behind him, having been levitated and charmed to follow non-verbally. Contrary to popular belief, he was actually a very competent wizard and was quite proficient in both wandless and voiceless magic.

Once he was upstairs, Remus trailing along behind his luggage, Severus first placed his things in the master bedroom before going to the room he knew was once his mother’s and stepped inside, seeing that the feminine decor was still there. Nodding to himself, he let Carina’s things be placed on the floor before pulling out his wand and flicking it at the crib that had been shrunk, enlarging it once more and setting against the far wall, between the two windows. In time, he would remove it and allow her to sleep in the large, canopied bed, but she was still too young. 

“What do you think, little one?” Severus asked, looking down at Carina, who was surveying the room with her intelligent and inquisitive eyes. 

“Ah?” 

Severus smiled. “This is your new room, Carina.”

“My?”

“Yes, yours,” Severus confirmed, watching as she squealed and clapped her hands happily, which drew Remus to the doorway, watching somewhat awkwardly as his old enemy held and interacted with his best friends’ daughter as if she was his own. He could see how much Severus cared for her and how he was willing to do anything for her. Remus knew that Carina was going to have a good life, even if he himself wasn’t in it.

****

It had been months since they had begun living at Prince Manor and Severus had to leave for a few hours in order to keep up appearances. He wasn’t happy about leaving Carina, as she hadn’t been away from him for any long periods of time. She’d imprinted on him like a duckling and was still finding it hard to warm up to Remus in the same way, as if she was still wary of him. He’d left for a few hours every few weeks, but Carina always ended up upset for the entire time he was gone.

“Well, I suppose it’s just us for now, Carina,” Remus sighed as he held Carina on his hip, her face still wet with tears from Severus leaving the manor.

“Sev…”

“He’ll be back soon, pup,” Remus assured the toddler, pressing a gentle kiss to her head before heading into the sitting room. “Do you want to play with your toys?”

“Want Sev,” Carina whined, wriggling in Remus’ arms. 

“I know you do, Carina, but he has to go out for a few hours. He’ll be back before you know it,” Remus assured her. He wished that he’d spent more time with her when she was younger, but he’d been nervous that he would harm her. In hindsight, he knew that he wouldn’t have, but he also knew that he was self-deprecating and cruel to himself. Being a werewolf did horrible things to one’s self-esteem. 


End file.
